“He’s still moving the needle forward, he still driving” - Kendrick Perkins says LeBron James lives rent free in everyone’s head, says he’s the reason the Lakers are relevant

It has been a downward spiral for LeBron James and the LA Lakers since winning the NBA title in 2020. Last season, they were eliminated from the first round of the postseason, and this year they found themselves on the outside looking in.

What was once a powerhouse franchise is now an afterthought. Kendrick Perkins said on ESPN's 'First Take' that the only reason the Lakers are relevant currently is because James is on the roster:

"The reason the Lakers are so relevant is because by a certain individual named LeBron James. Even when he's not in existence, he still living rent free in everybody head. He's still moving the needle as far as driving the ratings."

As far as this season, Perkins made a valid point. The only reason the Lakers drew any sort of positive attention was because of James’ play. At 37 years old and in his 19th season, James had his highest scoring average (30.3 points per game) since winning the scoring title in 2007-08 (30.0 ppg).

Is LeBron James single-handedly keeping the LA Lakers relevant?

Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors

Given their lackluster 33-49 showing in the regular season, it's hard to disagree that LeBron James is the only reason the Lakers are relevant. For starters, he's on track to go down as one of the three greatest players ever. He's been the face of the league for nearly two decades, so whatever he does carries weight.

Outside of James, Los Angeles really doesn't have much going on. The Lakers sacrificed a haul of assets not once but twice to land Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. The move for Davis in 2019 led to the 2020 title. The move for Westbrook a year ago backfired.

Many questioned Westbrook's fit alongside James from the beginning, and they turned out to be right. On top of that, Davis has struggled to be a consistent figure in the lineup as the injuries continue to pile up.

James has the ability to make the players around him better, but he wasn't given much in terms of a supporting cast. Since most of the Lakers' cap space is tied up in their stars, they were forced to sign a plethora of veteran minimum contracts. This resulted in a roster filled with former All-Stars who were past their prime.

Looking ahead, the Lakers have a laundry list of changes to make if they want to get back in the title hunt. As of now, James is about the only thing keeping them on the map.